Long Beach-based Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. (GCEH), a bio-feedstock development company, is forging new ground in the development of non-food-based renewable plant oil energy sources.
Much of the United States’ focus on renewable energy has been on corn- and soybean-based biofuels as a replacement for traditional fossil-based fuels. While in theory these sources lessen dependence on traditional fuels, serious questions remain about the quantity of fossil fuels needed to produce corn-based ethanol and the overall energy balance and sustainability of many first-generation biofuels like soy, palm and animal fats. Moreover, the conversion of food products into fuel comes with unintended consequences. Corn and soy used for biofuels production cuts into total agricultural output resulting not only in higher grain prices at the grocery store, but also in higher cost for animal-based protein (chicken, beef and pork), because corn (and soybeans) are a primary feed for livestock. In the U.S., this may lead to incremental cost increases; however, in the developing world it could result in prolonged poverty and more acute food shortages.
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